Free Cocky Roomie: A Bad Boy Romance Novel (Cocker Brothers of Atlanta Book 1) by Faleena Hopkins Page A

“You’re turning over every single one of those?”
    I nod, carefully poking each potato wedge until it rolls onto its soft side. “I like them to be evenly crisp.”
    I sneak a look at Jake and catch him smirking at me. A flush fills my cheeks and he laughs, shakes his head and places his pan on a dead burner. Cracking eggs into a fresh one, he hums to himself. We cook the rest of the meal in an easy silence. Without asking what the other wants to do in terms of duties, I set the table while he pours the orange juice. I turn on some music. He piles the food onto our plates. I butter the toast. He takes them from me and places them next to the omelets, says, “I’ve got it,” and carries both of our plates to the dining table.
    “Delicious,” I say after a few devoured bites. I didn’t realize I was so hungry, but he definitely worked up my appetite earlier. It’s hard to keep the images of him groaning in ecstasy away as he sits across from me just hours later. Friends. How am I going to be friends with this stunning man?
    “When was the last time you talked to your husband?”
    I wince, because after what I did today, it’s hard to hear that word. “He called a couple nights ago.”
    Jake’s fork freezes and his eyes meet mine rather violently. “He did? What’d he want?”
    I shrug it off. “Wanted to ask if I’d just give him the house outright since he earned the money to pay for it.”
    “Fucking prick.”
    I stare at him, because he literally growled that. I pick at my food and tell him, “Yeah. Edward wasn’t always that way, though.”
    “Yeah he was.”
    “What do you mean?” I squirm in my seat. Jake’s clearly angry, but this subject is still too near to my heart. Way too painful. He must sense that, because he goes back to eating, taking a couple slower bites before he changes the subject. “You ever been to the Botanical Gardens?”
    Stabbing a couple potato wedges on my fork, I say, “I parked there today to go to Piedmont Park.”
    “Yeah, that’s what made me think of it. Ever been?” I shake my head. “Let’s go tomorrow after work. I think you’d like it, Drew.”
    He goes back to eating like the invitation was nothing. It sounds like a date.
    What’s he playing at?
    I watch him eat as if nothing is amiss. After a couple bites myself, I softly say, “Okay.”
    “You want to carpool to work?” He glances up as he’s about to drink some orange juice. “It’s not a hard question.”
    I smile, “Sure. Yeah. That’d be great.”
    He nods, takes a sip, then asks like it’s nothing, “Was your husband the only other guy you’ve been with?”
    I drop my fork, and wipe my mouth with a napkin. “Why would you think that?”
    Did my voice actually just crack? Really? Come on!
    “You married at nineteen,” he says frankly, leaning back with toast in his hand. He takes a huge bite of it, his face totally casual.
    “I could have slept with other boys in high school.”
    “Did you?” he asks through the chewing. Now his eyes betray him. They’re suddenly on fire with curiosity.
    I pick my fork up and push my food around, keeping my eyes down. “I’ve only been with Edward.”
    “Until today.”
    Lightning cracks in my veins.
    I lay the fork slowly down. “Yes.”
    We can’t look away from each other. He sets his fork down, too, and leans forward to rest his elbows on the table. Under his steady gaze my heart starts pounding in all kinds of unusual places. What does he want me to say? That I want him? I do, God help me. But I will not sacrifice my sanity when I’m just getting secure footing.
    I hold my breath, waiting for what he’s going to say. His eyes are full of unspoken things and his muscles are bared to me, tense with determination to keep his hands off me, or on me, I can’t tell which.
    Frankly, I don’t know if I have the courage to turn him away.
    “Drew…”
    “Mmm?”
    “I want to throw this table to the ground and pin you to this wall.” The